Method and machine for flanging thermic siphons and the like



C. G. HAWLEY METHOD AND MACHINE FOR FLANGING THBRMIC' S IPHONS AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Shed 1 Filed May 13 1922 C. G. HAWLEY METHOD AND momma: FOR Fnmenm .THERMIC SIPHDNS .mn THE LIKE Filed May 15. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor Patented Dec. 16, 1924.

l ll'l'h STATES CHARLES GILBERT HAXVLEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB T0 LOCOllIOTIVE FIREEOX COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 01? DELAWARE.

B'IETHOD AND l /IACHINE FOR- FLANGING- THEE-@51 3 Application filed May 13, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES GILBERT Hnwnnr, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, Cook County, Illinois,

have invented a certain new, useful, and Iniproved Method and Machine for Flanging Thermic Siphons and the like, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improved methods and means for flanging heavy metal sheets such as boiler plates. The object of the invention is to enable the Hanging of such plates with little expenditure of man and machine power, at low cost and speedily. A further object of the invention is to provide for the Hanging of boiler plates and the like in a cold state as contrasted with the usual methods of hot flanging such plates and parts.

I shall not herein attempt to recite the methods nor describe the means hitherto used for the purpose, as they have been in use for many years and are very well known. In a sense, I depart from usual methods to the extent of reversing the operations in relation to the body of the part or sheet to be acted upon. Hitherto it has been the practice to block or fasten the sheet to be flanged in a clamp or press and then to move upon the projecting edge with hammers, press parts or dies so persistently applied or forcibly driven against the edges as to bend them over to the desired angle with respect to the body of the plate or sheet. In contrast, with my invention, the edge of the sheet is the part which is blocked or fastened in a fixed member and it is the main body of the sheet which I move to an angular position with respect to the clamped edge. Incidentally by the application of what I term radius bars or clamps to the body of the sheet I am able to determine or cause the flange to conform to any desired radius. Other novel features of my invention will appear hereinafter as related especially to the hanging of triangular thermic siphons, in which operation, in order to expedite the fianging process, I prefer to resort to the use of heat and sledge blows in order to turn a difficult flange at the top back end of the siphon.

My invention will be readily understood on reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a fianging block or machine embodying my in- SIPHUNS AND THE LIKE.

Serial No. 560,672.

vention, showing a thermic siphon blank in position therein; Fig. 2 is a vertical section substantially on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a plan view taken from Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. l is a perspective view of the flanging block embodying my invention; Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross section of the flanging block with the siphon blank in position therein, better showing the nature and relation of the before-mentioned radius bars; (:3 is a diagrammatic end view showing how the first half of the back end is turned or flanged in this hanging block or clamp; Fig. 7 is like view showing how the other half of the flange is turned, and Fig. 8 is a side view taken from Fig. 7.

The Nicholson therinic siphon above referred to is a substantially triangular water wall for use in locomotive fireboxes. It need not be here described in detail beyond saying that at the top the siphon is flanged outward in order that it may conveniently be attached to the crown sheet of the firebox. The hanging of the siphon top has proven to be diilicult and laborious when done by any of the older methods familiar to metal workers and boiler makers. By this invention I have greatly simplified the manufacture of siphons. In the drawings hereof the substantially triangular siphon blank 2 presenting the parallel sides 2, 2, is shown in inverted position, it being in that position that it is operated upon in the flanging block about to be described. It will be noted that the closed bottom. 3 of the siphon blank merges with the edges 2 at the lower back end a. The edges 2 are to be ranged outwardly with respect to the sides 2 and the portion 4 is to be flanged outward to conform to the general plane of the edges 2". The completed flange is well shown in Figs. and 8. It is not always at right angles to the body of the siphon, but more frequently at diverse angles thereto, as indicated in Figs. 6 and 7. Hitherto this diverse angularity of the flanges has occasioned much difliculty in manufacturing.

The flanging block referred to comprises the base 5 with the upstanding rail 6. Alongside the rail is a parallel movable rail 7, having a base 7 which rests upon the top of the base 5 and is movable thereon. As well shown in the drawings, one edge 2 of the plate to be flanged is positioned and fastened between the rails 6 and 7. Usually I provide the edges 2 with-perforated ears 8 for the reception of gauge pins 9, by which the position of the edge 2 is fixed between the rails. After positioning the edge, which is done with the body of the siphon in upright position as shown by full lines, the rail 7 is driven forcibly into place and there secured by means such as the wedges 10, of which there may be several. The lap-bolts 11 are then made fast and these, with the under-grip 12 of the rail 7 in the groove of the part 5, prevent movement of the rail 7 during the operation of bending over the plate. Before placing the body of the siphon in the described flanging block, I provide the siphon with a row of holes for the reception of the cross-bolts 13. By these bolts 1 secure in position 3 parts, to-wit, the spacing block 14 (between the sides 2, 2) and the two radius bars 15 and 16. These bars best appear in Fig. 5. As there shown, they are proportioned and adjusted for the making of an angular flange of the sort shown in Fig. 7. Obviously, being secured by the cross-bolts 13, the radius bars are clamped firmly against the sheet, thus the edge 2 which is held in the flanging block, is likewise rigidly clamped between the spacing block 1 1 and the radius bar 16. It follows that the only place or region in which the plate can be bent is that much of the plate which is exposed between the top of the rail 6 and the lower edge of the radius bar 16. By fixing this distance I determine the radius which will be formed whenthe sheet is bent over to some such position as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 5. It is by reason or this that I have given the name radius bars to the parts 15 and 16. Obviously, the ganging or positioningof the edge of the plate between the rails 6 and 7 as by means of gauge pins 9, performs the remainder of the function of fixing the dimension of the flanged radius or bend.

Having equipped the siphon body and placed it in the fianging block as above described, I next apply thereto a bar or lever 17 to the upper end of which I attach a ca ble 18 leading from a winding drum or Winch (not shown), by which the whole body of the siphon may be pulled over, fol lowing the arc 20 of Fig. 2, until drawn down to the right angular position with respect to the edge or portion held between the rails 6 and 7.

As thus far described, the Hanging of the plate applies equally well to the flanging of any boiler part or plate requiring a straight flange of uniform radius. Before passing to a description of the method used in flanging the back end of a siphon, I call attention to the fact that a radius of non-uniform dimensions may be drawn into the flange of theplateby varying the position of the lever 17. Normally it occupies the mean strain position upon the plate. That is, it is placed upon the line which, due to the shape of the article being flanged or other cause, marks the division or middle point of the bending strains. In the case of a folded siphon blank this line is well toward the front end of the body of the siphonv as here shown.

The operation above described is conducted with the sheet or siphon body in a cold state. Due to the great leverage upon which the force is applied, very little power is applied to pull the plate over as depicted in Fig. 2. This last operation is conducted slowly and while it is going on I apply heating torches to the end portion 4; and while the motion is taking place the hot end 1 is flanged over by hand. That is, by sledges in the hands of strikers. The blacksmith meantime uses such fullers and flatters as may be required to naturally maintain the internal shape of the siphon at the end of the space- 2* therein (see Fig- 8). It should be understood that while this is going on the plate is very rigidly held in the flanging block and that at no time is the metal flange struck against any underlying metal part. In other words, during the few minutes consumed in moving the lever 17 from upright to lowered position the blacksmiths, so to speak, heat and flange the projecting end of the siphon without resort to any die or backing plate whatever. In other words, the whole flanging operation may be said to be conducted in the air. At no time is a hammer blow struck on any part which actually rests against a backing plate or die. In consequence, the cracking or warping of a flange is unknown where this invention is in use.

Having thus finished the flanging of onehalf or one side of a siphon as depicted in Fig. 6, the siphon is removed from between the rails 6 and 7, and is reversed in position with its end 1 at the opposite end of the flanging block. The straight edge 2 of the siphon is then clamped between the rails 6 and 7 and the above operations are repeated as to that side of the siphon. The arrows of Figs. 6 and 7 generally depict the direction of the sledge blows which are struck upon the end flange 4 during the bending operation. Upon the completion of the flanging operation as depicted in F ig. 7 the job is removed from the flanging block, in a completed state, and it only remains toremove the parts 14, 15 and 16 therefrom. It will be obvious that flanges of any desired angles may be formed according to the number of degrees through which the body of the sheet or siphon is moved in swinging or rotating it about the upper edgeof the rail 6.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A machine for fianging boiler plates and the like, comprising a fixed rail and a movable rail and means for clamping the same upon the edge of the plate to be flanged, a spacing bar and a radius bar to be clamped to said plate above said rails and means for attachment to said plate for pulling the same over to the desired angle with respect to said rails.

2. The herein described method of flanging thermic siphons, which consists in clamping a spacing bar block between the sides of the siphon adjacent the edges to be flanged and in clamping radius bars against the outer surfaces oi said sides, then placing the edge to be flanged in proper position be tween clamping rails and pulling the body of the siphon over to the desired angle with respect to the edge clamped between said rails.

3. The herein described flanging block composed of an elongated T-shaped member comprising a base and an upright flanging rail, the latter having a narrow top to avoid the bend of the plate acted upon, in combination with a similarly elongated clamping rail movably seated on said base, and, means for driving and holding said clamping rail against the flanging rail to clamp the plate between the two.

4. The herein described flanging block composed of an elongated T-shaped member comprising a base and an upright flanging rail, the latter having a narrow top to avoid the bend of the plate acted upon, in combination with a similarly elongated clamping rail movably seated on said base, means normally interlocking the parts to prevent the tilting of the clamping rail, and means for driving and holding said clamping rail against the fianging rail to clamp the plate between the two.

5. The herein described fianging block composed of an elongated T-shaped member comprising a base and an upright flanging rail, the latter having a narrow top to avoid the bend of the plate acted upon, in combination with a similarly elongated clamping rail movably seated on said base, means for driving and holding said clamping rail against the Hanging rail to clamp the plate between the two, and means adjacent the block for pulling over a plate held therein.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 6th day of May, 1922.

CHARLES GILBERT HAVJLEY. 

